i ve had a lot of people say, i told you that was a girl when i left the field and had my hair down or something. those are the games i want. i want to go unnoticed just like the other six guys on the field. it s going to be hard to go unnoticed. kickoff for the nfl is one month away. and sarah thomas could become the first female full-time official. welcome to you. well, thank you. thanks for having me. we ve coined this great phase for you. you re going to smash the grass ceiling. that s why i wore green tonight. 21 finalists now, but huge pressure on you. how are you dealing with all the attention that comes with the fact you they be the first female nfl official? well, when i get to thinking about this, i ve never worked a
first female official in the nfl. can she break the grass ceiling? see what i did there? sarah joins me live to give you the answer. let s get to the big story. r and b super star usher s new son rushed to the hospital in an almost drawning swimming pool incident. very potentially tragic incident here involving usher s son. to put it in contect, last year he lost his stepson in a jet ski accident soft nearly a double tragedy. tell me what happened. well, first of all, this happened on monday, piers, and his son was swimming in a swimming pool, we re told and this is according to the police report, swimming in a swimming pool and got his arm caught in the drain. like those things happen it seems like around water and accidents like that. the woman that was watching him, his aunt in a house, couldn t get him up but apparently there were some electrics, sound guys at the house doing some work, they ran out to see what the commotion was, were able to get him out of the water and do cpr
thanks for having me. we ve coined this great phase for you. you re going to smash the grass ceiling. that s why i wore green tonight. 21 finalists now, but huge pressure on you. how are you dealing with all the attention that comes with the fact you they be the first female nfl official? well, when i get to thinking about this, i ve never worked a preseason where there s been more focus on the next season. so i just i m brace everything that has been put before me, but really and truly, i m just focusing on being an official and going out and working the games just like i normally do. you re going to be surrounded by these gigantic men. how do they treat you as a rule? are they good to you? are they terrible sexists? what is it like when you get out there with these guys?
worry you? i don t work in fear, candy. i have a job that i ve got to do and manage the line of scrimmage, the line judge position. and with experience comes just that. you know, being able to read the play, whether it s a pass or a run, or if it s a busted play, being able to get out of the way. if there s an opening in 2014, sarah thomas has a good chance to become the first female full-time nfl official. but breaking the grass ceiling has never been her goal. the guys that i officiate with, they understand that, yeah, i m a female. individually we re all different, regardless of race or gender. i understand that being a female, there s going to be some focus on that. but collectively we re one when we re on that field and we re all out there trying to strive for the same goal, to work the perfect game. still, you can t help but notice, right? have you surprised anybody when you first come onto the field and they find out later you re female? well, if i m around the guys
being able to get out of the way. if there s an opening in 2014, sarah thomas has a good chance to become the first female full-time nfl official. but breaking the grass ceiling has never been her goal. the guys that i officiate with, they understand that, yeah, i m a female. individually we re all different, regardless of race or gender. i understand that being a female, there s going to be some focus on that. but collectively we re one when we re on that field and we re all out there trying to strive for the same goal, to work the perfect game. still, you can t help but notice, right? have you surprised anybody when you first come onto the field and they find out later you re female? well, if i m around the guys and i m the only one out here wearing mascara and lipstick, so they kind of pick up on it pretty quickly when they hear me talk. but, you know, i ve had a lot of people say i told you that was a girl when i left the field and had my hair down or something. those are t